


dreams of the descendant

by kim_wonpil



Series: legends of teyvat [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Battle, Blood and Injury, Donghyuck has a secret, Genshin impact, Kissing, Knights of Favonius (Genshin Impact), Liyue (Genshin Impact), M/M, Mark Lee in Love, Mondstadt (Genshin Impact), Violence, death of monsters not people, nct x genshin impact, side chenji if you squint, side nomin, violence isn’t really graphic but this is the warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-17 00:21:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29462670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kim_wonpil/pseuds/kim_wonpil
Summary: Mark is the hotshot of the Knights of Favonius, and Donghyuck is keeping a secret from his friends, one that he must discover more about his past to understand it. And while he thinks Donghyuck hates him, Mark knows he’ll do anything to make the archer happy.or, a Genshin Impact x NCT crossover where Mark falls in love and Donghyuck is secretive.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Series: legends of teyvat [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2189526
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41
Collections: Challenge #5 — I heard a secret..





	dreams of the descendant

The Whispering Woods spoke to him, and Mark could hear the Anemo Archon calling his name, leading him to the city gates.

 _It’s not just a city, but a region,_ they said. Mark heard the stories, and surely, this was the city of Mondstadt. 

With his sword in its hilt, he had trekked over rocks, but only now then found himself sitting in a chair in an old building towards the edge of Mondstadt, his sword on the other side of the room. 

“State your name, and your business in Mondstadt.”

Ah yes, and the pretty boy in red and brown who had captured him, Donghyuck, bow slung over his shoulder. How could Mark forget?

“Speak!” Donghyuck yelled, pushing Mark’s shoulder back against the chair.

“I’m but a mere traveller, searching for somewhere to stay,” Mark said. It wasn’t a lie.

“Donghyuck, leave him,” another voice spoke, and came forward.

Mark casted his gaze over _Donghyuck’s_ shoulder to look at the new visitor, as did the other knights in the room. It was a handsome man, dressed in white, blue and gold, posture straight and expression calm.

“Your name, traveller?” the man questioned. 

“It’s Mark,” the anemo user announced.

“And where do you reign from, Mark?”

Mark pondered. He didn’t really remember at that point, and so he told them that.

Donghyuck scoffed.

Doyoung allowed Mark to stay at a nearby inn, after shortly explaining about the Knights of Favonius, which Doyoung is Grand Master of. 

After a close encounter with a hilichurl camp, Mark saves some children’s lives, once they’d stumbled upon it whilst playing near Windrise. Doyoung honours him as one of the Knights of Favonius. Mark managed to make some good friends whilst training, but there was Donghyuck, the one who was wary of Mark from the start. Donghyuck, who avoided him at all costs, who glared at him from across headquarters, and across the dinner table if the knights ate together, hated him.

Donghyuck is always wearing his bow, unlike the other knights who leave their weapons at home on their days off. Donghyuck also doesn’t smile much, unless Jisung tells him a funny joke. 

Mark always thought he was beautiful, nonetheless.

—

Mark’s sitting in Jungwoo’s tavern one evening for dinner, alongside brothers Jaemin and Sungchan. Jaemin is charming and popular amongst Mondstadt citizens and Knights, his cryo powers elegant and graceful, as well as his swordsmanship. Sungchan’s only training, but he’s strong in using cryo power, like his brother.

It’s not often he gets days off like this, as the Knights often call upon him to head out Mondstadt on long exploration quests all the way to Liyue and Snezhnaya. Hanging out with his friends with glasses of wine and bowls of Mondstadt’s tastiest soup is how he’d prefer to spend those days off.

A bard, who goes by the name of Jeno, sings on the stage. They all think he’s beautiful, with looks as gorgeous as his voice and lyre. Jaemin is watching him with such awe.

“How was Liyue?” he asks, sipping on his glass of red wine, when out of his trance.

Mark pops a joint in his shoulder and sighs. “Yeah, it’s as pretty as they say, amazing food too.”

“Did you go to Wanmin Restaurant? I hear they have the tastiest meat in the whole of Teyvat,” Sungchan says. He’s always wanted to go on a long quest to somewhere like Liyue; Mark wishes he could take him. 

“I think he was a little busy killing Hilichurls at Yaoguang Shoal and exploring to be eating at fancy restaurants,” Jaemin jokes.

Mark chuckles; he’s really missed this.

The door to the tavern stretches open, and the cool air from the outside sweeps in. In steps Outriders Donghyuck Lee and Jisung Park, hair messy from the wind. Donghyuck readjusts his red beret, that sits perfectly on his head, tufts of his auburn hair sticking out on his forehead. 

He stares over at Mark’s table, before sauntering over. “Mark Lee,” he says, putting his bow down on the table, “Doyoung wishes to talk to us. Me, you, Jaemin and Jisung.”

Mark glances up at Donghyuck, whose gaze is stoic. “Okay, we’ll finish up our supper and be on our way.”

Donghyuck sits at another table, dragging Jisung with him. They order two pints of ale and talk between the two of them.

“I wonder what they want with all of us…” Jaemin ponders, putting his spoon back in the empty bowl.

Mark wonders that too. It’s not often Doyoung asks for the two of them, Donghyuck and him, to be in the same room at once; The tension between them is unreal. 

They finish supper quickly, and set off for Headquarters, after Jaemin sends Sungchan home, as they trail behind Donghyuck and Jisung.

—

“Liyue Harbor?”

“Yes, the Qixing has called upon us for assistance,” Doyoung explains. He pulls his gloves on tighter, his cool gaze staring down the four of them.

“Sir, I’m sorry to object, but Mark has just returned from Liyue. Can’t he take a break?” Jaemin suggests, his hand on Mark’s padded shoulder.

“He is my best outrider. But he will need your assistance. There is a dungeon full of abyss mages, performing rituals on hilichurls, and the Qixing thinks they are going to schedule an attack,” Doyoung stands up and walks around his desk to Mark, “I’m putting you in charge, Mark. Meet with the Sergeant of the Millelith, they’re the harbor’s guards, they’ll take you to the dungeon, you’ll help them defeat those abyss mages.”

“Yes, sir,” Mark nods. From the corner of his eye, he can see Donghyuck with his arms crossed, looking particularly distraught. 

“Take a rest for tonight, and set off for Wangshu Inn tomorrow. Spend your day there to gather your equipment.”

Doyoung looks around at the four young men, and there’s a hint of a smile on his lips. “You’re dismissed. Return to your homes.

—

Mark makes a rendezvous point at the restaurant in the morning, where Donghyuck and Jisung already are, scarfing down breakfast.

“Late, Mark Lee,” Donghyuck scoffs, finishing off his toast.

“I’m not as late as you think I am, it is a minute past six,” Mark rolls his eyes as he sits next to them, “besides, Jaemin isn’t even here yet.”

As soon as he says that, Jaemin comes around the corner with a grin on his lips. “Hello, team!”

“What took you so long?” Donghyuck interrogates him, arms crossed over his chest.

“The lovely bard from last night stopped by my door, to give me a good luck token,” Jaemin sighs dreamily, holding forth a white handkerchief with emerald stitching on it, reading _Jeno._

Mark chuckles. “Then make sure you don’t lose it. Come on, let’s be off now.”

—

They arrive at Wangshu Inn late in the afternoon. They’re all worn out by that point, so they retreat to their rooms to rest. At dinner, Donghyuck becomes rather drunk, and Jaemin decides to send their youngest, Jisung, off to bed. Mark is left with an intoxicated Donghyuck, singing songs Jeno the bard sang at the tavern the night before.

“Come on, Donghyuck, off to bed with you,” Mark exasperates, wrapping Donghyuck’s arm around his neck.

“But I haven’t finished my soup!” he pouts, and Mark doesn’t deny the thought that comes into his mind, that Donghyuck is _cute_ when he’s drunk.

Mark struggles, but manages to lead him upstairs to his room. Taking off his boots for him, he lays Donghyuck in his bed with an exhale. 

“Leaving so soon, outrider?” Donghyuck asks him, hand lingering on Mark’s belt.

“Go to sleep, and drink some water. You’re going to regret this tomorrow morning,” Mark demands, prying his hand off.

Donghyuck smiles up at him. He’s never done that before, well, apart from sly smirks.

“Regret seeing your face? Your strong arms carrying me upstairs?” he whispers, “No, I’d never regret that, Mark Lee.”

Mark blushes profusely. “Go to sleep. I’m leaving.”

“Goodnight, Mark Lee, the noble Knight of Favonius.”

Perhaps Donghyuck is just clingy when he’s drunk, even to someone he supposedly hates, like Mark. However, Mark knows he can’t stand the mixed signals he’s getting from the outrider. 

“Goodnight, Donghyuck,” he mumbles, before leaving and closing the door gently.

—

Donghyuck regrets drinking so heavily in the morning. He stumbles down for breakfast with a pounding headache, slumping in his chair. He glares when Mark laughs at him, saying _I told you so_.

He doesn’t seem to remember any of last night, or at least, the pyro archer doesn’t mention it. Mark decides he won’t either. Although, he is acting weird. He’s not making any snarky comments, and Mark knows something is up. Even Jisung notices, and he thinks Donghyuck is keeping something from them.

They leave for the harbor right around midday, and they make it there before sunset. Two soldiers are standing there, seemingly awaiting their arrival. 

“Sir Mark Lee, Knight of Favonius?” a short yet fully armoured young man says, approaching the group, “Sergeant Renjun of the Millelith, we welcome you warmly.”

“A pleasure, sergeant,” Mark nods as he shakes his hand. 

“We are hoping to leave very soon for the dungeon, it is not far from here. Are you all ready?” Renjun asks them. 

—

On their way to the dungeon, Renjun explains he harnesses hydro power. Jisung makes good acquaintances with Renjun’s cousin, Chenle, another soldier and a pyro user like Donghyuck. There’s three other soldiers, but they haven’t introduced themselves. Mark sticks close to Jaemin on the hike. Donghyuck is awfully quiet, and Mark almost has the heart to ask what’s wrong.

_He’s hiding something._

“We’re here,” Renjun says, as they approach a grand doorway, kind of like the doors to the temples around Mondstadt, “be wary of your step.”

They enter cautiously, Renjun leading the way. The dungeon, which is more of a cave, is dimly lit, but Chenle uses his powers to light the path. 

Mark and Jaemin hold onto their swords tightly, unsheathing them when they hear a high pitched cackle. 

The lights ignite, and there are five abyss mages, all in the air surround a big group of hilichurls. 

Donghyuck pulls the string of his bow back, a flaming arrow firing into the middle of the hilichurl group. “That should hold them! Go for the mages!”

So Mark runs, jumps across the ledge and strikes his sword through a mage. Jaemin seems to have had the same idea, slicing through anything in his path. Renjun wields a claymore, his hydro magic putting out the fires of pyro mages before striking through them. 

Chenle screams, as a geo mage traps him under some rocks. Then, Jisung is running, jamming his spear into the mage, before going to rescue Chenle. 

Mark defeats two hilichurls who climbed up the ledge from the fire, when he realises he hasn’t seen Donghyuck in a while. He looks around hurriedly, before he spots him, fighting off two more hilichurls. 

“Donghyuck!” he yells, dashing towards him. He slays the monsters, before putting his hand over a cut on Donghyuck’s arm. “Are you alright?!” He knows Donghyuck is strong, and can fight for himself, but he can’t bear seeing him in pain.

Donghyuck scowls, before firing an arrow behind Mark. He turns, and a hilichurl lays dead on the floor. “Stay behind me, Mark Lee!”

He pushes Mark to the floor and that's when Mark notices he’s bleeding from his arm too. He didn’t realise it before, and his next realisation is that Donghyuck is trying to save his life. He takes Mark’s sword from him, and fights off anyone who tries to touch them. 

It’s not long before Mark passes out.

—

He wakes up somewhere he doesn’t recognise, but Donghyuck is next to him, and to be honest, that’s all that matters to him.

“Donghyuck…are you alright?”

There's a bandage around where Mark last saw Donghyuck’s cut. “Yes, I’m fine, you?”

Mark nods, exhaling heavily. Donghyuck brings his fingers towards Mark’s black locks and pushes them back off his forehead, before they linger along his cheek. 

“Thank you,” Mark whispers, accepting the affectionate touches, “for…saving my life.”

Donghyuck lowers his head, dragging his hand from his cheek down to Mark’s hand. He squeezes his fingers softly. “And…thank you, for saving mine.”

A door opens, and Donghyuck’s hand retreats to his lap. It’s Renjun. “Are you both okay?”

“We’re alright, Sergeant,” Donghyuck replies, standing up from his spot on Mark’s cot.

“Chenle is resting, your two friends are eating dinner. You’re welcome to join or sleep, but…” Renjun approaches them, slowly, “there’s a festival tomorrow. Please stay and enjoy the festivities before leaving for Mondstadt. We are forever in your debt.”

“We would love to, Sergeant,” Mark agrees, before sitting up. Renjun nods and leaves them for some quiet.

There’s an unreadable look on Donghyuck’s face, but it’s something of confusion as his lower lip juts out, his eyes misted with what might be fear.

“Donghyuck, are you alright?”

“It’s nothing,” Donghyuck answers quickly, before turning around, “I’m fine.”

“You can tell me whatever is bothering you. I’m here.”

Donghyuck stops in his tracks. “Mark…” he turns around, and his eyes are glossed over with tears. He sits down again, right next to Mark this time. 

“I’m having dreams,” he says in a low voice, “I had one the night before we left, and the night we stayed at the inn. Dreams of the pasts, real memories that aren’t mine.”

He stops.

“Dreams of the Archon War.”

Mark stops breathing. “Are you the-?”

“No!” he yells, “I-I am not the pyro archon in disguise. Part of me thinks…the pyro archon is trying to communicate with me.”

Mark rests his hand on Donghyuck’s, rubbing his thumb along his knuckles. 

“Don’t tell the others…keep it a secret, please.”

“Of course.”

With that, Donghyuck plants a kiss on his cheek, and leaves him. 

—

They celebrate the festivities indeed, buying souvenirs from the harbor to take back to Mondstadt. Jisung asks Chenle to dance with him, surprisingly so to the others. They exchange whispers and giggles together.

“Will you dance with me, Donghyuck?” Mark asks him bravely, the fireworks from the dock exploding above them, lanterns lighting sparkles in the pyro archer’s eyes. It’s then that Mark truly realises he is in love, as Donghyuck looks up at him, and he smiles brighter than the sun. He takes Mark’s extended hand, and they dance the night away, in each other’s arms. 

They retreat to bed early, as they’ll have a long day tomorrow. Jaemin chuckles at Mark when they’re left alone. 

“What?” Mark questions him, like he’s offended.

Jaemin looks up with a smirk. “You love him.”

Mark looks over at Donghyuck’s shut door. He thinks about the first meeting, the tension they had, the supposed hatred and the quests they went on together. 

“I think I may have loved him my whole life, Jaemin.”

—

The next morning, Renjun and Chenle give their farewells. Chenle and Jisung exchange addresses on pieces of paper, promising to write to each other. After a few teases from Jaemin, the Knights of Favonius leave.

Back in Mondstadt, Jaemin returns the handkerchief to Jeno the bard. He’s greeted with a warm kiss, much to the others’ disgust. They eat with Doyoung that night, and are rewarded with new weaponry and armour. They drink and dance and laugh, and Mark realises, looking at Donghyuck from across the table, that he could be at Mondstadt or Liyue with Donghyuck, and still feel at home. He knows that Donghyuck is troubled, keeping a secret he doesn’t exactly understand, but Mark knows he will keep it for him, if it means he’s happy. 

Jaemin and Jisung leave first, bidding the others goodnight. Mark and Donghyuck leave together soon after, silence engulfing them.

“I’m going to Natlan,” Donghyuck announces to him.

“You are?” Natlan is the region the pyro god watches over. It’s a longer journey than that to Liyue.

“I have to…to find out who I am. The secrets that are hidden from me…I had another dream before we left Liyue. Of my mother. She told me the pyro archon loves me most, and that I…I am a descendant.”

Donghyuck says this like it’s nothing, yet Mark falls on his knees on the empty cobbled street before him. “Take me with you.”

The pyro archer pulls him up on his feet and chuckles. “I can't. I must discover my ancestry myself, Mark. Just tell the others I have returned home to greet my family, don’t tell them about my dreams, I beg you, Mark. Keep it a secret.”

Mark glances over his moonlit face. “My lips are sealed.”

Donghyuck gives in, cupping Mark’s cheeks with his hands and letting his lips fall against the anemo swordsman’s, closing his eyes as if in a dream. Mark holds Donghyuck’s waist tightly; he doesn’t want to let him go, really. 

Neither does Donghyuck, but it’s for the right purpose, and Mark is kissing him harder, holding him closer, hoping some part of Donghyuck stays with him.

Donghyuck breaks the kiss and smiles. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Mark confesses, “Me too.”

The archer smirks, before pressing his lips one last time to Mark’s. “I’ll be on my way, outrider. We’ll talk about this later.”

“Write to me,” Mark pleas, squeezing his waist, planting a kiss on his neck.

“Only if you write back,” Donghyuck whispers, stepping away, “I’ll come back before you know it.” 

“Goodbye,” Mark says, squeezing his hands.

“Goodbye, noble Mark Lee.”

Mark stays in that spot until he knows Donghyuck has left Mondstadt. He prays to the archon Barbatos to watch over Donghyuck on his travels. Mark goes back to his home, welcomes sleep gladly, and dreams of kisses from a descendant of the pyro archon, and the lies he will have to tell to keep Donghyuck’s secret.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! i hope it was enjoyable, even if you’re not a genshin impact fan! if anyone’s confused:
> 
> mark - anemo, uses a sword  
> donghyuck - pyro, uses a bow  
> jaemin - cryo, uses a sword  
> jisung - electro, uses a polearm*  
> chenle - pyro, uses a sword  
> jeno - geo, does not use weapons or magic  
> renjun - hydro, uses a claymore*
> 
> glossary:  
> polearm* a thin long weapon, usually a spear.  
> claymore* a bigger, thicker sword, does a lot more damage but is slower than a normal sword due to its weight.  
> hilichurls - a goblin-like family of monsters that wear masks.  
> abyss mages - creatures who are the foot soldiers of the Abyss Order who can harness elemental energy.  
> Mondstadt - an old city which is also a region, surrounded by mountains. the anemo archon Barbatos watches over this region.  
> Liyue - a large region that is fully of grassy hills. there is also a harbor, which has building structure similar to that of traditional chinese buildings. the geo archon Morax or Rex Lapis watches over this region.  
> Natlan - the region that the pyro archon Murata watches over.  
> Teyvat - the whole of the land. (Mondstadt, Natlan and Liyue are in Teyvat).
> 
> elements:  
> anemo - air, hydro - water, cryo - ice, pyro - fire, geo - rock, electro - electricity, dendro - earth/plant (not mentioned in this fic)


End file.
